The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-09-17

A TIRED MOTHERS STORY.

This tender story of mothers experience Is
published in the Christian Weekly. She had laid
her table with great care and pains for compa-
ny of distinguished guests when her little girl
accidentally overturned tureen of gravy on
the snowy cloth.
ssWhat should I do? 1t seemed drop too
much for my table-cloth. was about to jerk
my child down angrily from the table, when
blessed influence held me. 1 caught the ex-
preston on her face; such sorry, frightened,
appealing look never saw, and suddenly a pic
ture of the past came and stood out vividly be-
fore my minds eye My child's face revealed
feelings which had experienced twenty years
before.
II was myself little nervous girl, about eight
year old, in the happy home of my childhood
1t was stormy day in winter. 1t was soon after
coal-oil lamps were introduced, and father had
bought very handsome one. The snow had
drifted up against the kitchen windows; so, al
though it was not dark, the lamp was lighted
Mother was sick in bed upstairs, and we chill
dren were gathered in the kitchen to keep the
noise and confusion away from her. l was
feeling myself very important, helping to get
supper; at any rate, imagined l was helping,
and in my oficiousness seized the lamp and
went down into the cellar for some butter;
tried to set it on the hanging-shelf, but alas! I
didn't give it room enough, and down it fell on
the cemented floor.
ST shall never forget the shock that it gave
me. 1 seemed almost paralyzed. didn't dare
go up stairs, and was afraid to stay down there.
To make it worse heard my fathers voice in
the kitchen. He had cautioned us again and
again to be careful of that lamp, and now there
it lay, all smashed to pieces.
but his voice seemed to give me impetus
needed to go up and meet the scolding or whip
ping, or both, which 1 felt sure awaited me, and
which really felt deserved So l crept up
over the dark stairway, and as 1 entered the
kitchen met my father, with such stern look
upon his face that was frightened. l saw there
was no need to tell him what had happened
He had heard the crash, and if he hadn't guess
my face would have told the story.
1.-THE children stood silently around waiting
too see what father would do, and 1 could see
by their faces that they were horror-stricken,
for that lamp had been the subject Of too much
talk and wonder to be smashed without SEN
sation. AS for me, 1 felt so frightened, so con-
fused and sorry, that I couldn't speak. But
upon glancing again at father 1 saw the angry
look die out his eyes and one of tenderest pity
take its place. I doubt that he saw the same
lifted me in his arms, and was hugging me close
to his breast. Then he whispered, oh so kindly:
'Never mind, little daughter; we all know it
was an accident, but hope you will take the
small lamp when you go down cellar again"
''Oh, what a revulsion of feelings 1 expert
enced! 1t was such surprise to me that was
suddenly overwhelmed with feelings of love and
gratitude, and burying my face sobbed as if
my heart was breaking. No punishment could
have affected me half so much, and nothing can
efface the memory of it from my mind.
'How loved my father to-day, as the sight of
my little girls face brought it all freshly before
me-! Will she love me as dearly, 1 wonder,
twenty years or more from now, because moved
by the same impulse that stirred my fathers
heart in that long ago time. was able to press
the little frightened thing to my heart, and tell
her kindly that 1 know she didn't mean to spill
the gravy, and that know she would be more
careful in the future. Will she be helped byit
when she is a mother, as have been helped by
it to-day?"